Overview of Common Social Network Analysis Software Platforms

Overview and Methodology Authors This report was developed by the Philanthropy and Networks Exploration, a partnership between the Packard Foundation and Monitor Institute. The exploration is an inquiry into how networks can facilitate greater philanthropic effectiveness For more information, please go to http://www.philanthropyandnetworks.org Purpose The guide is intended to provide an overview of social network analysis tools available For each tool we outline the primary application as well as the pros and cons for each platform Sources and Methodology Software tools were identified from: The International Network for Social Network Analysis’s software catalogue1 Social network literature2 Resources made available online by social network analysis experts including Bruce Hoppe, Steve Borgatti, and Valdis Krebs Comments on usability and functionality are based on our initial experimentation with those tools that could be downloaded for use; the exception is Smart Networks Analyzer, which we have used more extensively http://www.insna.org/INSNA/soft_inf.html Huisman, M. & van Duijn, M. A. J. (2005). Software for Social Network Analysis. In Peter J. Carrington, John Scott, & Stanley Wasserman (Eds.) "Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis" (pp. 270-316). Cambridge University Press.

Summary of Social Network Analysis Tool Types The SNA tools we surveyed can be broken into the following broad categories: Type Description Often used in academic settings and intended for the most sophisticated types of social network analysis Often built for performance as opposed to usability User guides and help files are not comprehensive or are written for more sophisticated audiences Example: UCINET Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools Used in more general settings, including corporate environments Built with the user in mind and tend to be more intuitive and easier to use than tools for primarily academic applications Software help files are more comprehensive and user guides are written for a general user audience Example: NetMiner Accessible but Advanced Social Network Analysis Tools Can be used by users less familiar with social network analysis Tools are built without complex functionality and are very easy to navigate and use Help files are simple and clear Example: Smart Network Analyzer Simple, Easy to Use Social Network Analysis Tools Online Tools That Enable Visualization of Preexisting User Generated Data Used to analyze existing data made available by users Often simple to use with intuitive functionality Example: Xigi

Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools In-Depth Profile: UCINET / NetDraw URL: http://www.analytictech.com Description: UCINET is a downloadable software program that can read and write social network data files NetDraw is bundled with UCINET and used to read and display network visualizations UCINET is widely used in academia The UCINET file format can be used with a number of other analysis and visualization platforms Environments: Primarily used in academic environments; UCINET is also used by consultants that have developed customized versions of the software to suit more specific needs Cost: Free for individual use; $250 for a business license Pros: Significant flexibility to import data from different files formats, including Excel Can support more complex types of network analysis; compatible with many different visualization platforms Cons: More difficult to use for simple social network analysis tasks Online help resources are intended for more sophisticated audiences Difficult to filter data that is being viewed NetDraw’s visualization does not allow for formatting of output

Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools GUESS URL: http://graphexploration.cond.org Description: A data analysis and visualization tool for graphs and networks Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Multiple visualization options, ability to customize and modify the GUESS interface Cons: Utilizes a console for users to enter in commands; potentially more difficult for newer users IKNOW URL: http://www.spcomm.uiuc.edu/teclab/iknow/ Description: Web-based tool that can be used to map and visualize knowledge and informational flow through organizational networks Environments: Academic, non-profit organizations, corporate Cost: Free Pros: Simple web-based platform for creating network maps Cons: Download not currently available; more difficult to install (must be installed on a server); limited online help files for using the software; potentially lacks more advanced functionalities for formatting output; could potentially require additional support and time to configure

Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools NetVis Module URL: http://www.netvis.org/ Description: An open source web-based tool to analyze and visualize social networks using data from Excel files and online surveys Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Web-based, simple for users to load data Cons: Slow to process data; complicated user interface; limited visualization functionality for formatting output Otter URL: http://www.caida.org/tools/visualization/otter/ Description: Otter is used for visualizing a variety of types of network data, including Internet data, topology data, and web site structure data Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Able to handle many different types of formatted data sets Cons: Limited functionality for formatting output and filtering nodes

Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools Pajek URL: http://pajek.imfm.si/doku.php Description: A program used for the analysis and visualization of large networks Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Good online documentation for using the software; advanced functionality for analyzing data Cons: Difficult to use; primarily intended for more complex mappings of very large networks SoNIA URL: http://www.stanford.edu/group/sonia/ Description: A Java-based platform for visualizing longitudinal network data that shows how networks are formed over time Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Relatively simple to use Cons: Lacks advanced functionality for formatting output; primarily intended for longitudinal data that shows the evolution and change of networks over time

Advanced / Academic Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools StOCNET URL: http://stat.gamma.rug.nl/stocnet Description: An open source platform for more advanced social network analysis including network statistics and visual modeling Environments: Academic Cost: Free Pros: Incorporates modern advanced statistical methods into a software tool Cons: Difficult to use; documentation has not been updated; output is not easy to manipulate

Accessible but Advanced Social Network Analysis Tools In-Depth Profile: NetMiner URL: www.netminer.com Description: NetMiner is an software tool for exploratory analysis and visualization of network data The tool is able to handle large amounts of data and enables the user to conduct both simple and more advanced types of analysis, including a number of statistical procedures Data can be visualized based on several different types of network visualization algorithms and statistical results can be charted using graphs Environments: Because NetMiner is both user friendly and statistically powerful, it is suitable for a range of audiences including academic, corporate, and general consumer use Cost: Student use – $40; Commercial use – $980 Pros: Convenient and intuitive user interface, easy to use for less advanced users Good user support through help files built into the platform as well documentation on using the software online Advanced functionality to conduct multiple types of statistical analyses and visualizations Cons: Requires a basic level of technical sophistication and familiarity with social network analysis

Accessible but Advanced Social Network Analysis Tools In-Depth Profile: Visone URL: http://visone.info/ Description: Used for the research and teaching of social network analysis. Run in JAVA and can be downloaded or used via the web Enables the user to run multiple types of visualizations based on common scientific algorithms; users can also calculate metrics based on social network data Environments: Visone is commonly used in academic environments; it is also suitable for a wider audience because it is more affordable and easier to use than most academic platforms with similar functionality Cost: Free Pros: Clean looking and intuitive user interface Advanced capability to output multiple types of visualizations Cons: Lack of help files integrated within the software platform Online user’s manual to conducting analyses is not comprehensive and other online software documentation is intended for more sophisticated academic audiences

Accessible but Advanced Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools InFlow (Valdis Krebs) URL: http://www.orgnet.com/inflow3.html Description: InFlow is a set of proprietary network tools for visualizing and analyzing networks based on user generated data to determine where gaps and effective network connections exist Environments: Corporate, academic, non-profit Cost: Consulting and licensing fee Pros: Good reputation; user friendly; includes visualization and metrics Cons: JAVA platform can sometimes be slow; data must be precisely formatted Network Evaluation Tool (Rob Cross) URL: https://webapp.comm.virginia.edu/NetworkRoundtable/ Description: Automates data collection and social network analysis; only available to Network Roundtable (Rob Cross’s consultancy) members Environments: Corporate Cost: Network Roundtable membership ($12,500 per year) Pros: Appears to have advanced functionality Cons: Requires membership to Network Roundtable

Accessible but Advanced Social Network Analysis Tools Other Tools Sentinel Visualizer URL: http://www.fmsasg.com/Products/SentinelVisualizer/ Description: Advanced proprietary social network analysis tool intended for government and corporate use; target audiences include intelligence analysts, law enforcement, investigators, and researchers Environments: Government, corporate Cost: $2,500 per user Pros: Advanced capabilities for visualizing social networks in alternative formats, such as geospatial views, timelines, and 3D displays Cons: More expensive than many other options

Simple, Easy to Use Social Network Analysis Tools In-Depth Profile: Smart Networks Analyzer Smart Networks Analyzer (June Holley) URL: N/A Description: A simplified version of Valdis Krebs’s InFlow that is run through a desktop software platform Allows the user to simply view and analyze social network data imported from a formatted text file Environments: Primarily non-profit organizations Cost: Consulting (training) and licensing fee Pros: Very easy for non-experts in social network analysis to format data files Enables users to simply load, filter, and visualize data Intuitive user interface that allows user to filter data by network and node attribute Cons: Lacks more advanced functionality for using complex and scientific visualization algorithms Inability to do complicated formatting of output, including setting the coloring and shape of nodes Software can be slow, especially when conducting visualizations and exporting images Software must be precisely formatted according to a number of rules

Online Tools That Enable Visualization of Preexisting User Generated Data Xigi.net URL: http://www.xigi.net/ Description: Utilizes data provided by users to create network maps showing connections among organizations and people TouchGraph URL: http://www.touchgraph.com Description: Creates network visualizations based on Facebook, Google, and Amazon.com data

Survey Collection Tools Network Genie URL: https://secure.networkgenie.com Description: Network Genie allows users to design and manage surveys for gathering data for social network maps Environments: General use Costs: Free Pros: Free, web-based Cons: Complicated user interface, limited functionality and customizability for advanced survey questions